Traditional bowhunting legend Barry Wensel injured his arm a few years ago, and now he hunts often out of ladder stands that he can more easily climb with one hand. He hides those big platforms with artificial leaves and ferns that he buys at a craft store. “You know, the brown, gold and green plastic or nylon ones with the wire stems,” he says. Barry weaves the fake foliage around the uprights of the ladder; threads the leaves and ferns down, around and through the seat and foot grill; and then ties or tapes them solidly in place. “When the real leaves fall later on in October and November, my ladders stay hidden and deer are used to seeing them,” he says. Great cover as you hunt, move and draw your bow. What extra measures do you take to hide your hunting stands?
Likewise. Plastic artificial vines are easy to use and come in many shades and colors. Still have my original OD Camo fatigue jacket adorned with them. Amazingly alike…………..
I was sewing them onto camo clothes way back in the 1970s
I’ve done that and I’ve also used the branches from artificial Christmas trees to help provide cover where there is little or none.
I like that idea!!!
Go to your local Goodwill store and you can sometimes find old artificial trees. Take a ratchet strap, put it around the tree, snug it enough to keep it in place but loose enough to put the branches where you want. Slide ’em in, ratchet it tight and there you go.
Sorry, I forget to put my name on the “how to”…
We mostly hunt out of Lock ons, and in situations where the preferred tree just doesn’t have cover, we sometimes will find another small tree nearby and bend the top over in front of the stand and tie it off to the tree or a limb. It looks a little funny, but it actually works quite well, and you can trim it exactly how you want to.
The good thing about this method, as opposed to “brushing in” your stands, is that it continues to grow from year to year, and with a couple snips, it’s good to go the next year.
With some permanent ground blinds, we will often allow saplings to grow or plant small cedars in front of it and do the same. It’s a living screen.